Las Vegas McCarran International Airport Service Animal Policies

Assistance animals are welcome to travel with passengers who have disabilities. Certain exemptions are provided to these animals, but some rules and restrictions still apply. To determine if your dog qualifies to be certified as a Psychiatric Service Dog and can be accepted as such for air travel, you can visit Pettable’s PSD service.

Las Vegas Airport Pet Relief Areas

For a relatively small airport, the McCarran Airport has a surprising number of animal relief areas—seven, in total. Three are located inside and post-security, and four are located outside and pre-security. The post-security locations are situated at the entrance to the Terminal 1 A/B/C Concourse area, in the Terminal 1 D Concourse area, and in Terminal 3. The outdoor areas are just outside of Terminal 1 Baggage Claim, outside Terminal 1 Ticketing, and outside of Terminal 3. 

Though not explicitly stated on its website, the Las Vegas Airport pet policy likely dictates that all non-service animals should remain in crates and carriers during their time within the airport. The only exceptions exist for when animals are using pet relief facilities and going through security. This is an excellent rule of thumb to follow while traveling. Some airports provide support animals, and other passengers are likely traveling with service dogs. The last thing a traveler wants is to experience a dog fight while waiting for a flight.

LAS Airport Pet Cargo Locations

If your pet is small enough to fit under your seat, he will be allowed to fly in-cabin. However, many pets are too large, meaning pet parents will need to seek alternative travel accommodations. Some airlines allow pets to travel as checked baggage. Though the safety of this practice has been called into question, it is a relatively easy process for the pet owner; simply process your dog at flight check-in and pick him up at excess baggage upon arrival. 

However, if your large dog cannot fly as checked baggage, he will likely need to utilize the cargo option. McCarran pet policy insists that pet owners pick up their animals at airline-specific cargo buildings. Though not physically connected to the main terminal building, these areas remain on the airport campus.  

The Marnell Air Cargo Center is just under a mile away from McCarran’s main terminal building. It is also around a mile away from the closest railway service and less than one mile from the closest interstate. If you are dropping your pup off at cargo, accessing the facility is very easy. However, if you are picking him up directly after landing at McCarran, you will want to arrange private transport to the Cargo Center. There is no shuttle service from the terminal building to this section of the airport.  

United Airlines Cargo
6055 Surrey Street, #110
Las Vegas, NV 89119
702-261-5253 

Delta Airlines Cargo
6055 Surrey Street, #117
Las Vegas, NV 89119
800-352-2746 

Southwest Airlines Cargo
6055 Surrey Street, #121
Las Vegas, NV 89119
702-740-1330 

When flying into or out of Las Vegas, be sure to keep an eye on the temperature and weather forecast. If the temperature is expected to be above 85 degrees Fahrenheit on the day of your pet’s flight, Las Vegas Airport pet policy (and federal guidelines) may deem it unsafe for him to fly.  

More Las Vegas McCarron International Airport Pet Policies

Though physically small, McCarron International sees around 46 million passengers each year. It is the 26th busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic and moves around 223 million pounds of cargo each calendar year. To this end, the most important Las Vegas Airport pet policy isn’t really a policy: Have patience. It might take a couple of hours to retrieve your pet from cargo, and there might be lines at every post-security pet relief area. Regardless, passengers can rest assured that, in the case of an emergency or missed connection, McCarron has the pet-friendly resources to help you out.

Looking for a different airport? We have an airport directory for pet policies.